The present invention relates generally to disc mower-conditioners, and more particularly, to an improved disc cutter member for use on the cutterbar of a disc mower-conditioner.
Mower-conditioners have been provided for a number of years to sever standing crop material and convey the severed crop material rearwardly into a conditioning mechanism without depositing the severed crop upon the ground. A disc mower-conditioner utilizes a disc cutterbar having a number of transversely spaced disc cutter members rotatable to sever standing crop material by an impact action. A conditioning mechanism is mounted rearwardly of the disc cutterbar to receive the severed crop material directly from the disc cutter units without need of an intermediate crop conveying mechanism.
It has been found that certain crops, such as oats, rye, bluegrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids, when harvested by a disc mower-conditioner, have a tendency for severed crop material to build up in front of the disc cutters after being severed, resulting in a laying down of uncut crop material before it can be severed by the disc cutters. Under these conditions, the crop material being cut leaves a long stubble. In addition, certain crops have a tendency to feed under the lower conditioning roll after being servered and, thereby, escape the conditioning treatment. Assistance in feeding severed crop into the conditioning mechanism is desirable. Furthermore, the rapid rotation of the disc cutters creates a high rate of wear under abrasive crop and/or soil conditions, subjecting the hardware detachably connecting the knives to the disc cutters to a great amount of wear, requiring frequent replacement of the knife fastening hardware.
The addition of crop lifters to presently existing disc cutter members to solve the above-noted problems can create problems of their own. The additional weight of the crop lifters causes operational problems with the bearings rotatably supporting the individual disc cutters, particularly if the crop lifters are not properly balanced about the axis of rotation. Furthermore, means for attaching the crop lifters to the disc cutters must be provided, adding still further weight to the disc cutter members. On the other hand, if the lifters are welded onto the disc cutters, the disc cannot be utilized at a counter-rotating position, unless further lifters are welded onto the disc, resulting in limited utilization of the disc.